Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

त्रिरात्रेणापि कृच्छ्रेण तथा चान्द्रायणेन च । यावकैस्तप्तकृच्छ्राद्यैः पक्षमासमुपोषणैः

Transliteration

trirātreṇāpi kṛcchreṇa tathā cāndrāyaṇena ca | yāvakaistaptakṛcchrādyaiḥ pakṣamāsamupoṣaṇaiḥ

Translation

త్రిరాత్ర కృచ్ఛ్రం, చాంద్రాయణ వ్రతం, యవాగూ (జొన్న/యవ గంజి)తో జీవనం, తప్తకృచ్ఛ్రాది ప్రాయశ్చిత్తాలు, అలాగే పక్షం లేదా మాసం ఉపవాసం—ఇలాంటి తపస్సులతో।

Word by Word

• त्रिरात्रेण: by a three-night (observance)
• त्रिरात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (त्रयः रात्रयः = three nights); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपवाद-अव्यय (even/also)

• कृच्छ्रेण: by (the) Kṛcchra penance
• कृच्छ्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; व्रत-विशेष (austerity/penance)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्या-अव्यय (thus/also)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• चान्द्रायणेन: by the Cāndrāyaṇa vow
• चान्द्रायणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चान्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; व्रत-विशेष (Cāndrāyaṇa vow)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• यावकैः: with yāvaka (diet)
• यावकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; आहार-विशेष (barley-gruel/diet of yāvaka)

• तप्तकृच्छ्राद्यैः: with Tapta-kṛcchra and other (austerities)
• तप्तकृच्छ्राद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तप्तकृच्छ्र (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: heated/arduous kṛcchra) + आद्य (etc.); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• पक्षमासम्: a fortnight and a month (as duration)
• पक्षमासम्: Karman (Extent/measure/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (पक्षश्च मासश्च = fortnight and month); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (काल-परिमाण)

• उपोषणैः: by fastings
• उपोषणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपोषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; उपवास-क्रिया/व्रत (fastings)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; continuing the list of vratas/penances connected to the Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Kārtika-vrata context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetic devotees on the riverbank and temple precincts: some taking minimal barley-gruel, some performing heated kṛcchra, others in quiet meditation; Kārtika lamps in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛcchra (vrata)
• Cāndrāyaṇa (vrata)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Classical penances and fasts are upheld as potent disciplines for purification and religious merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Dvārakā Māhātmya setting frames these observances, though this verse itself lists austerities rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kṛcchra (including trirātra and tapta-kṛcchra), cāndrāyaṇa, yāvaka diet, and fasting for a fortnight or month.